• Eni has started its first appraisal well at the Calao offshore discovery, two years after its 2024 find.

• Côte d’Ivoire aims to raise oil output from about 60,000 barrels per day to 200,000 barrels per day by 2027.

• Authorities estimate Calao and related discoveries at around 1.5 billion barrels of crude.

Italian energy group Eni has launched an appraisal drilling campaign to assess its offshore Calao discovery off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire, according to information published by Upstream Online on January 23. This operation marks the first appraisal well drilled on the structure since its discovery in 2024.

Specialized drilling vessels are conducting the operation in deepwater conditions in the targeted area. However, Eni and Ivorian authorities have not disclosed details on the duration of the campaign or its technical parameters at this stage.

Côte d’Ivoire currently produces hydrocarbons at an estimated level of about 60,000 barrels per day, according to official data. The government has announced a target to raise production to 200,000 barrels per day by 2027.

During a speech in June 2024, Ivorian President Alassane Dramane Ouattara cited $15 billion in investments required in the oil sector to reach that target over the period.

In the same address, authorities said the production increase would rely in part on recent hydrocarbon discoveries, including the Calao field. Officials estimated Calao and associated resources at around 1.5 billion barrels of crude.

Meanwhile, Eni has committed to invest $10 billion between 2023 and 2027 to develop the Baleine offshore oil field, which the company discovered in 2021. Last week, Eni signed a binding agreement with Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR to sell a 10% stake in the Baleine project.

In addition, Eni has stated its intention to position Côte d’Ivoire as a cornerstone of its growth strategy in West Africa. In early October 2025, the group expanded its offshore exploration portfolio off the Ivorian coast, bringing its total number of prospective blocks in the country to eleven.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de BERRY QUENUM